DNA, short for deoxyribonucleic acid, is a molecule that carries genetic information in living organisms. It is a long, double-stranded helical structure located within the cells of almost all living organisms, including plants, animals, and bacteria. DNA is composed of nucleotides, which are the building blocks of the molecule.
Each nucleotide consists of three components: a sugar molecule called deoxyribose, a phosphate group, and a nitrogenous base. There are four types of nitrogenous bases in DNA: adenine (A), cytosine (C), guanine (G), and thymine (T). The arrangement of these bases along the DNA molecule forms the genetic code.
The structure of DNA is often described as a double helix. The two strands of DNA are held together by hydrogen bonds between complementary nitrogenous bases: adenine (A) pairs with thymine (T), and cytosine (C) pairs with guanine (G). This pairing rule is known as base pairing.
DNA carries the instructions necessary for the development, functioning, and reproduction of all living organisms. It contains the genetic code that determines an organism’s traits, such as physical characteristics, biochemical processes, and susceptibility to certain diseases. The DNA sequence within a gene specifies the sequence of amino acids in a protein, which is crucial for carrying out various biological functions.
To simplify the complicated world of DNA, just imagine the attache case that an architect is carrying. Inside the attache case is a blueprint that contains the design of the building. In biology, the attache case is the DNA which carries or stores the blueprint or design to build a human being, a plant, an animal, a bacteria, a virus, or everything that has life. In the architect’s blueprint or design is written the structure of the building, such as the foundation, floors, walls, beams, columns, roof, stairs, and their quantity. Same thing with the blueprint inside the DNA, it has instructions on how a person is built.
When sperm cell of dad meets egg cell of mom, the two cells become one. Inside the sperm cell is dad’s DNA which carries dad’s information like dads height, hair color, health records if he has diabetes, high blood pressure, etc.Same thing with mom’s egg cell. It also carries mom’s DNA which stores all information about her. When sperm cell and egg cell unite, this process is called fertilization. This happens in the fallopian tube.
The study of DNA, its structure, and its functions is essential in fields such as genetics, molecular biology, biotechnology, and forensic science. DNA analysis and sequencing techniques have revolutionized our understanding of heredity, evolution, and the diagnosis and treatment of genetic diseases.
